


Scientific Curiosity

by wickedlupin



Category: Tales of Xillia
Genre: Anal Sex, Biting, Established Relationship, For Science!, Knotting, M/M, Marking, Praise Kink, Transformation
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-06-24
Updated: 2020-06-24
Packaged: 2021-03-03 19:34:30
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Underage
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,132
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24890893
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/wickedlupin/pseuds/wickedlupin
Summary: Ludger stood right in front of Jude, and light surrounded him briefly as he transformed. The atmosphere around him seemed to alter, but only Ludger’s face and arms changed in appearance. Jude held his breath, his eyes traveling down over his armored muscles. He unconsciously reached out and traced a finger over one of the spikes that grew from his triceps. He lifted his eyes to Ludger’s face, studying and appreciating the yellow stripes that framed his jaw. The change in his skin tone made Jude wonder how it would look if he were to blush.
Relationships: Jude Mathis/Ludger Will Kresnik
Comments: 2
Kudos: 32





	Scientific Curiosity

Jude’s eyes always seemed to follow Ludger on the battlefield. Even when they weren’t linked, he found himself constantly aware of where Ludger was. Maybe it was the healer in him, wanting to ensure his teammates were okay, even though he knew Leia and Elize were more suited to spellcasting than he was.

His awareness of Ludger didn’t seem to be a problem-- at least most of the time. But when Ludger took his chromatus form, it became a little... distracting for him.

He never quite got used to it. His curiosity overwhelmed him every time, and he found his eyes locked on the sleek, black form, the sharp edges of the armor, and the overall presence that could only remind him of a great spirit. He paid close attention to each level as Ludger’s power grew stronger, measuring his difference in strength, as well as in physical appearance.

Ludger’s body twisted as he thrust his lance through the monster he was locked in combat with. He turned to seek out his next opponent, but instead of finding the nearest monster, his eyes locked with Jude’s. Jude couldn’t look away. He could almost feel the waves of curiosity and longing rolling off of him. It was embarrassing, he should at least act a little ashamed--

“Look out!”

Ludger had crossed the few feet between them, his arm shooting out in front of Jude to block a monster with his lance. Jude’s gaze ran over the smooth curve of Ludger’s tricep, following it until it turned into the gear-like spur that extended from his arm. Ludger pushed the monster back, then easily finished it off with the lance.

Jude swallowed thickly.

Ludger spun his lance in his hand, almost like he was showing off. He stuck it in the ground, then transformed back to his normal form.

“You’re distracted.”

“Sorry.” Jude rubbed the back of his head, finally tearing his eyes away from Ludger, and at least having the decency to blush. “And… thanks. For jumping in there.”

  


* * *

  


Jude stepped out of the bathroom, steam billowing out after him. Long, warm showers were one perk of staying at Ludger’s. The main appeal, of course, was that they could all save some gald by avoiding another inn expense. In the living room, the others were setting up camp. Elize, Elle, and Milla were building a fort out of blankets, while Leia and Alvin fought over the couch. Jude chuckled to himself, and slipped into Ludger’s bedroom.

The biggest perk, he thought, was getting some time alone with Ludger.

Ludger sat at his little desk, cleaning his pistols. He looked up when Jude came in.

“Hey,” Jude said, pulling the towel from his shoulders so he could hang it in the window to dry.

“Hey,” Ludger answered, setting the pistol down on the wood surface. “Feel better?”

“Much.” Jude sat on the edge of the bed, letting his shoulders relax.

Ludger fidgeted with his pistols a bit more, then closed them up and set them aside for the night. “Hey, Jude,” he said slowly, “You know, if you want to see my chromatus form up close… you can always ask.”

Heat crept up Jude’s neck and burned his cheeks. “Oh, right. About earlier. I shouldn’t have gotten so distracted… sorry.”

“No, it’s okay.” Ludger shook his head, then stood up from the desk. “I mean it, though. I don’t mind you looking.” His eyes burned with something stronger, like maybe he actually enjoyed the attention. Jude looked away from him, his embarrassment growing where it should have been on the battlefield before. Ludger probably thought it was pure curiosity from the viewpoint of a scientist.

“Could I… have a look, then?”

Ludger stood right in front of Jude, and light surrounded him briefly as he transformed. The atmosphere around him seemed to alter, but only Ludger’s face and arms changed in appearance. Jude held his breath, his eyes traveling down over his armored muscles. He unconsciously reached out and traced a finger over one of the spikes that grew from his triceps. He lifted his eyes to Ludger’s face, studying and appreciating the yellow stripes that framed his jaw. The change in his skin tone made Jude wonder how it would look if he were to blush.

He lifted his hand from Ludger’s arm, and instead traced the stripe down his cheek, his fingertip coming to rest just below Ludger’s mouth. Jude got his wish-- a tinge of pink lifted to Ludger’s cheeks, contrasting with the silver and yellow. Jude smiled.

“This is only the first level of your chromatus, though… isn’t it? Is there armor under your clothes? Or…” Jude found himself blushing as well. The question had tumbled from his lips before he realized exactly what he was asking.

“My body is… mostly human under the clothes,” Ludger answered. He kept his eyes on Jude’s, almost like he was searching, measuring his reaction.

“And what about… your second level? Do you mind if I compare? To satisfy my… scientific curiosity, of course.”

Ludger took a half step back from Jude, and his appearance shifted again. His shirt disappeared, replacing it with dark, plated armor that covered his chest. Jude’s eyes traveled over it, studying every change, every detail.

He reached out his hand once more, but hesitated before it made contact with the yellow stripe that ran from Ludger’s sternum to his navel. He bit his lip, and his eyes met Ludger’s, framed by the armor that now crept up from his neck.

Ludger gave a small nod in response to Jude’s silent question, and so he placed his palm in the center of Ludger’s chest. The chromatus armor was smooth, but it wasn’t as hard or cold as he had anticipated. In fact, it was quite warm. Jude recalled Ludger once joking that he was naked in his chromatus form. At least, he had thought it was a joke-- now he wasn’t so sure.

He lifted his palm again, leaving his fingers in contact with Ludger’s chest, and slowly traced the edges of the long yellow stripe, noticing the way the plates grooved slightly with the detail. Ludger shivered lightly, and Jude fought the impulse to smirk.

“Is your armor… really part of you?” he asked. The pink that tinged Ludger’s cheekbones spread further over his face, and disappeared beneath the dark armor on his neck and jaw. Jude felt a sense of power wash over him.

“Do you… like this, Ludger?”

“I should be asking _you_ that, Mr. Spyrite Researcher.”

“Hey…” But Jude didn’t try to deny it. His hands wandered to Ludger’s hips, to run his fingertips over the sharp protrusions there. “Was it really that obvious?”

“Pretty much,” Ludger confirmed, “with the way you’d stare at me on the battlefield…”

Jude had the decency to blush as well. “I just… I was curious. There are a lot of questions I have about your chromatus form with regards to spirit artes...”

Ludger let out a breath. “Don’t take this away from me, Jude,” he whined. “I really liked the idea of you watching me like that, getting distractedly turned on…”

Jude ducked his head, the top of his hair brushing against the armored chest in front of him. “I…! Well, I mean, you’re not necessarily _wrong…_ ”

“Honestly, Jude, with a lot of those smaller monsters we’d encounter on the road… I didn’t need to use my chromatus. But I liked the way you’d look at me… I liked that I was so distracting to you. Even though that almost got you hurt, earlier. Sorry.”

“Don’t be.” Jude still didn’t raise his head. As embarrassed as he was, he couldn’t help but focus on the details framing Ludger’s abdomen. They were both silent for a moment, just listening to each others breathing, until Jude carefully ran his hands over the striking yelllow that was barely visible on Ludger’s flanks, peeking around from his back.

Ludger drew in a shaky breath. Feeling they were on even ground again, Jude lifted his head to look at him. “I told you before, that your chromatus form reminds me of a spirit… right?” Ludger nodded, his face pleasantly flushed. “You can’t… I mean, I’m sure you couldn’t… tether, could you?”

Ludger smirked, but Jude held his ground, waiting for his answer with determination. “...I don’t know, to be honest,” Ludger admitted. “I don’t really know what tethering is supposed to be like. I don’t have a mana lobe, after all.”

“Right. Yeah, I know. That was a stupid question.”

“No, it wasn’t.” Jude felt hands rest on his own hips, pulling him closer. Jude stepped forward, and Ludger’s lips found his ear. “Tell me about tethering,” he whispered. “What do you like about it?”

Jude hesitated, chewing his lip. He closed his eyes, and focused on the way Ludger’s presence felt. “It’s… a little bit like linking, but it’s not quite the same. It’s more personal. Your mana flows straight into the spirit you’re tethered with. It’s… a bond I don’t really know how to describe. Spirits enjoy it a lot, but I… I don’t think it explicitly feels _good_ for humans. Probably more neutral. Even… exhausting, depending on the person.”

“But you like it, don’t you, Jude?”

Jude nodded, giving in and resting his forehead against Ludger’s strong, smooth shoulder. “Yeah, I do. There’s something about that kind of bond… the transfer of mana…” A tingling heat grew in Jude’s abdomen just from the thought of it.

“Maybe we could find our own way to tether,” Ludger whispered, and the ball of heat within him erupted. He let out a breath that he was sure Ludger could feel against his neck, even with the armor in place there. _Or perhaps even more so._ Ludger seemed to choke, as though holding back a groan.

“Tell me… how you would tether with me,” Jude said breathily.

“I told you my body is mostly human under my clothes. But there is… one distinct difference I’ve noticed.”

Curiosity filled him alongside his arousal. “Can I… see that, too?”

Ludger’s teeth grazed his earlobe. “You’re the only one I’ll grant access to that, Dr. Mathis.”

“Is this scientific privilege, or a boyfriend’s privilege?”

“Maybe a combination of both.”

Jude rested his palms where his fingertips had been, and ran his flat hands down Ludger’s sides to the waistband of his pants. He closed his eyes, momentarily allowing himself to _feel_ Ludger’s presence rather than see it. His fingers worked at the front of Ludger’s pants, unzipping them. His fingertips brushed the tip of warm, firm flesh. He wondered if the firmness came from armor or arousal-- or both. Curiosity overwhelmed him, and he opened his eyes, shifting his face on Ludger’s shoulder so he could peek down between them.

Jude’s hands tugged lightly at the fabric at Ludger’s hips, revealing more so that he could get a better look. The black armor that covered Ludger’s hips faded into a lighter gradient, closer in tone to the softer gray of his face. The tip of his cock matched the color of his cheeks-- light silver, with a pink undertone from the rush of blood to the area.

Jude’s dick twitched just as his curiosity piqued. Would the flesh become even harder than normal? Would the color darken, would it become clad in armor as Ludger’s arousal grew? He pressed the pad of his thumb against the tip of his dick, admiring the color. A sound erupted from Ludger’s throat that Jude hadn’t heart from him before-- almost like a _growl._

Jude’s cock _ached._ Despite this, he was still more interested in studying Ludger’s instead of freeing his own. He wrapped his palm around the shaft, measuring with a firm grip the level of hardness. It was firmer at the base, where the color was darker. Ludger’s grip on his hips tightened, and his armored claws dug in almost painfully. It added a certain edge to Jude’s arousal he hadn’t quite felt before.

Sex with Ludger was usually soft, tender, all emotion and vulnerability, complete trust in one another passing between them. Jude loved it that way. It was the same sort of feeling he enjoyed about tethering, the openness of their bond. He loved sharing that with Ludger, but _this_ was something else entirely.

He hadn’t realized how much he craved Ludger being rougher with him until this moment.

“ _Ludger,_ ” he whined. _Fuck_ holding back. He wanted this _now._

Ludger dropped his mouth to Jude’s neck and bit into the soft flesh there. Jude’s mouth dropped open, and the noises that escaped him were completely beyond his control. His free hand grabbed onto the spike that jutted from Ludger’s hip and pulled him closer. Ludger pushed Jude backward, and he stumbled back a few feet until he felt the mattress beneath him.

Ludger removed his teeth from Jude’s neck. His flesh stung upon release, and Jude’s breath shook. Ludger pushed his hands up under Jude’s shirt, claws scraping lightly at his skin and causing the muscles in his abdomen to spasm. Jude silently begged him to dig in, to break skin, to leave a mark. Ludger crawled over him, almost animal-like. Jude’s insides leapt at the sight.

Jude’s hands lifted to Ludger’s face, fingertips combing through his silver hair, briefly admiring the way he looked without his usual dyed fringe.

“I want to feel you,” Jude begged, hands trailing back down Ludger’s neck to hold onto his shoulder armor instead.

Ludger’s stunning green eyes locked on his, and his form changed and shifted once more. The armor on his jaw spread over his face, growing tendrils that framed his eyes. Large spikes, almost resembling wings, grew from just above his elbows. The pants around his hips disappeared, being replaced with sharp, jutting armor that extended all the way down his legs. Where the plates were usually flat over his crotch, however, this time his cock remained visible, the firm, black substance covering its length, with those shocking yellow stripes running partially up the shaft. It seemed a bit thicker in the center-- or was Jude searching too hard for minor differences?

Ludger’s sharp fingers lifted Jude’s shirt up to his shoulders, and Jude raised his arms to let him pull it off over his head. The power of the nearly-full chromatus radiated from him, and Jude’s breath caught. Jude wanted him to use that strength, he wanted to feel that power all around him.

Instead, Ludger pulled back further, and a whine of protest nearly escaped Jude’s throat. He leaned over to open the drawer beside his bed, producing a small bottle, and handed it to Jude. He held up one dark, clawed hand, and despite the power that fell on Jude in waves, he looked sort of embarrassed.

“I can’t do it for you,” he said sheepishly. “You’ll have to get yourself ready.”

Jude felt intense heat rise up his neck. His cheeks burned at the thought, and his head swam. Of course, they couldn’t just jump into it. Even if Jude was realizing he liked a little pain, taking Ludger-- especially as he was now-- couldn’t be enjoyable without a little help.

While Jude sputtered, trapped in his own head, Ludger had closed his eyes. It almost looked like he was fighting to hold back. Jude’s embarrassment trickled away at this revelation, and he briefly considered voicing what he was witnessing in Ludger, but before he could, the man lay down on his back.

Jude swallowed thickly, admiring the way all his dark, sharp edges stabbed into the mattress, the way the plates of armor moved and bent with his joints, like they were really part of him.

“I’m all yours, doctor,” Ludger said cheekily. “Feel free to research me to your heart’s content.”

Jude’s mouth went dry. He had to look away, hiding his burning face with one hand. “How can you just say things like that?” he mumbled. He heard Ludger laugh lightly beside him.

Jude took a deep breath and raised himself up on his knees so he could rid himself of his pants. He felt Ludger’s gaze on him, and he felt a wave of humiliation as he freed his already leaking cock. To be so insatiably horny, to be so close to bursting without even being touched... Jude was mortified.

Ludger, on the other hand, seemed almost unhinged at the sight of him. Jude heard another low growl come from him, and when he finally met his eyes, he saw a level of lust there that Ludger didn’t usually show. It gave Jude some of his confidence back, to know Ludger was just as into this as he was.

With the little bottle still grasped in one hand, Jude scooted toward Ludger, and swung one leg over his torso. He remained propped up on his knees, hovering above the powerful chromatus user beneath him.

As much as he longed for Ludger’s power, he found he enjoyed having a bit of power, himself. Knowing exactly how strong Ludger was in this state, knowing how fully he could dominate Jude, just made it more exciting to be the one hovering over him like this.

Jude popped the bottle open, and squeezed the thick, slippery lube over his fingers. He set it down on the bed beside them, and placed his now-free hand in the center of the firm chest beneath him. He leaned forward, balancing his weight on Ludger’s chest, and brought his other hand around behind him, slipping one finger into himself.

Ludger’s clawed hands came to rest on Jude’s hips, helping to support him. The sharp tips just barely pressed into his skin, but Jude’s cock twitched noticeably. Ludger was paying attention-- he experimentally curled his sharp fingertips inward, until Jude gasped, moving his hips back onto his own fingers as the claws threatened to pierce his skin.

A bead of precum dripped from Jude’s cock and landed on Ludger’s navel, the white contrasting sharply against his dark abs. Ludger seemed almost as fascinated by this as Jude was-- one hand slid around to gently claw at the small of Jude’s back, while the other moved around to his front. Ludger extended one sharp finger, and just barely ran the tip up the length of Jude’s dick.

Jude almost fell forward. He pulled his hand from his ass quickly to catch himself, a violent shudder running up his spine. Ludger was smirking in that incredibly sexy way of his. His hand raked down one of Jude’s ass cheeks, and Jude’s own fingers curled against Ludger’s chest, scraping futilely, unable to leave a mark.

Jude scooted back on his knees, until he could get another good look at Ludger’s cock. He lifted it in his hand, and Ludger’s claws dug deeper into his skin, enough to leave harsh red marks. Jude tried hard to study every detail of the cock in his hand-- the weight, density, hardness, temperature-- but all he could focus on was how badly he wanted it to fill him up, to connect them together.

He positioned himself just above Ludger’s cock so that the tip pressed against his asshole, and he slowly lowered himself down onto it.

Ludger quickly sat up, his arms wrapping around Jude’s back with claws raking at his sides, and his teeth sank into Jude’s shoulder. Jude cried out at the suddenness of it, his own arms reaching up to cradle his head, gripping onto his soft, silver hair.

Ludger’s cock was incredibly warm, in the most pleasing way. As he sank down on the length, bobbing himself a bit to ease onto it, he found that the middle definitely _was_ thicker than the rest. He felt himself stretch a bit more as he took it in. Ludger’s breathing was labored in his effort to restrain himself, his teeth firmly latched onto Jude’s shoulder.

When Jude had sat himself all the way down, he took a moment to breathe, releasing his firm grip on Ludger’s hair and gently combing his fingers through it. As he did so, Ludger’s strong bite slowly released.

Jude let out a long breath. Ludger kissed the harsh bite mark in apology, and Jude hummed. “I’d bite you back, but you’re a little more resilient than I am right now.”

“You’ll just have to return that favor next time.”

Jude blinked. “You’d want me to?”

“I don’t know. I can’t say I’ve experienced it before. _You_ certainly seem to enjoy it.”

Jude was glad his embarrassment was hidden in Ludger’s shoulder. “I… do enjoy it.”

“I’ve never seen you so turned on, Jude.”

Jude’s face pressed further into his neck. “It’s not my fault you’re so hot.”

Ludger sucked in a long breath, his grip around Jude tightening. He certainly seemed to enjoy the praise. Jude wanted to give him more of it, but the suggestive words got caught on his tongue, halted by embarrassment.

But here Ludger was, satisfying every craving he both knew and never knew he had. The least he could do was lean into _his_ cravings a little bit, too.

“I don’t want you to hold back,” he said quietly. “I want to watch you over me… giving me everything you have.”

Ludger groaned in his ear, then quickly rolled over to pin Jude against the mattress. Jude clung to him with his legs, gasping as Ludger’s cock moved inside him. Ludger’s lips attached to his neck, just below his jaw, and Jude rolled his hips as he started moving in an awkward, unsteady rhythm. Jude’s hands grasped at the protruding armor at Ludger’s hips, holding on tightly and pulling himself up to meet Ludger with every thrust. His cock rubbed up against Ludger’s smooth, hard abs, and he fought the urge to grind up harder until he found his release.

Ludger’s rhythm improved, until he was pounding steadily into him. “Tether with me, Jude,” he managed between gasping breaths.

Jude’s brain fought to find any logic in his statement, when the only thing swirling in his mind was the intense pleasure that was making him arch against the mattress. “Tether…?”

“I’ll pump all my mana into you,” he growled, quickening his pace more. The words alone had a greater affect on Jude than he could have imagined. He wrapped his arms and legs tight around Ludger, bucking his hips and rutting his cock sharply against his navel.

“Please,” he panted. He could barely hear himself. The cock inside him was growing, stretching him. Ludger stopped thrusting so much as grinding into him, until his entire body tensed up, and his cock twitched, spilling its contents into Jude.

All of these sensations combined left Jude gaping, squirming and fighting for more friction, until Ludger’s hand came between them and wrapped its palm around his cock, stroking it in firm, quick strokes. Jude’s toes curled, his back arched, and strings of cum shot up over his stomach.

Ludger’s hand remained firm around his cock until it stopped convulsing, and Jude relaxed, melting against the mattress. He fought to catch his breath, his mind wandering down to the pressure that remained in his ass, tightly locking the semen inside him. The pressure wasn’t unpleasant-- in fact it felt sort of nice, remaining connected like this in the afterglow of his orgasm. He smoothed his hands over the hard armor covering Ludger’s back.

“It’s like we’re tethered, huh?” he breathed.

Ludger propped himself up to look down at Jude. “Is it really like that?”

Jude smiled. “No, not really. But I… loved this. It’s our own, special bond. It feels like we’re connected, like our bodies are one. It’s different, but it has all the same properties I liked about tethering…” He caught himself rambling on, and stopped himself. “It’s just… I liked it. We should do that more often.”

Ludger chuckled and slid his arms under Jude’s waist, carefully rolling them both onto their sides while they remained connected. Jude struggled a bit to find a comfortable position.

“Sorry,” Ludger said, “Is it uncomfortable?”

Jude shook his head. “It’s not bad. It’s actually… really sort of comforting.”

Ludger smirked and leaned his forehead against Jude’s, just resting. Jude closed his eyes and matched his breathing. He could feel Ludger’s pulse in him like they were one being. When he was wrapped up in him like this, if felt like he belonged there, like he was home.

Slowly, as they both began to fall asleep, the knot deflated, and Ludger transformed back to his standard appearance. As much as Jude was drawn to all the sharp edges and spirit-like energy of the chromatus, it was somehow even more satisfying to curl into Ludger’s softer, familiar embrace at the end of it.


End file.
